You know your houseplants require sunlight and water. We usually forget about fertilizer? Giving fertilizer to houseplants when they are growing gives them important nutrients that help them grow well.
Fertilizer is not food for plants. Plants make their foods in a process called photosynthesis using sunlight. Fertilizer is more like a multivitamin to help plants grow healthy and new. It can also be used to replace important nutrients that the potting mix loses as plants grow over time. Fertilizers may contain several nutrients, but among the most important ones, known as macronutrients, are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K).
Houseplants droop when they need water. Their leaves become light in color and long when they don’t get enough sunlight. When the air is too dry, they feel crunchy; when it’s too moist, they might start to rot. However, figuring out when your houseplants need fertilizer is much harder. Your plant doesn’t give a clear sign that says, “Hey, it’s time to feed me!” ", except for they may grow slowly or show no growth at all, which many houseplant owners hardly notice.
Instead of passively waiting for a signal from the plant, you can proactively use the houseplant fertilizer according to its growing cycle. Fertilizing houseplants sounds like a chore, but for real plant lovers, it's a very crucial point in maintaining plants healthy and strong. When the season of growth starts, many houseplant owners want to learn how to accurately fertilize their plants. It may seem a bit more complicated, but fertilizing is generally an easy, yet important, task for anyone who wants to keep their indoor plants looking nice.
Houseplants differ from outdoor plants. Outdoor plants can get all the nutrients from nature; like from rotten wood and fallen dead leaves. The plants being in the same soil consume the nutrients within it; it must be supplemented. Fertilizing plants can keep plants healthy with sufficient critical nutrients for growth, flowering, and hardiness during the growing season.
16 elements can be added into plants, to help them grow. The fresh weight of a living plant is made up of 80 to 90 percent water. Thus, hydrogen and oxygen are two of the elements that are required in the biggest amounts. Making sure a plant gets the right amount of water is the first and fundamental step in an attempt to have a healthy plant.
If you dried a living plant to remove most of the free water, you would find that fully 95% of the plant’s dry weight is carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. It would consist of roughly 50 percent of dry weight which is carbon obtained from carbon dioxide (CO2). Green plants absorb water and carbon dioxide and through chlorophyll and light energy, they prepare carbohydrates known as photosynthesis. Along with that, they need Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Magnesium Zinc, etc.
When choosing a fertilizer, the label will display three numbers, like 10-10-10 or 20-20-20, which represents the N-P-K ratio, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. For example, a fertilizer labeled 12-6-6 contains 12% nitrogen, 6% phosphorus, and 6% potassium. The remaining weight is typically filler or a bulking agent.
Each nutrient has a unique role in the growth of plants:
Nitrogen is responsible for the development of leaves and makes up a significant portion of chlorophyll, which plants use to absorb light for photosynthesis. It is also used to synthesize proteins for newly formed plant tissue. Plants with thicker leaves, such as philodendrons, require more nitrogen. Phosphorus assists in root growth, flower and fruit set, and development. It provides energy flow within the plant for bud and root development. It activates enzymes and maintains water balance in the plant through the small stomatal openings that regulate the process of water vapor and gas exchange. Inadequate levels of potassium result in loss of water and wilt plants.
Because houseplants and other plants in containers are restricted to the soil that they are planted in, fertilizer is important for these plants. After that, the nutrients in the water cannot be replenished and the roots of your plant cannot extend to get to it. That is why it is advisable to use high-quality potting soil since it usually comes with slow-release fertilizer for early growth. Once that is depleted, one has to replenish it or transfer the plant into a new pot with a new mix.
If you are uncertain as to the amount of fertilizer that should be given to the potted plants, it is advisable to feed the plants with a small quantity of fertilizer. Don’t feed them with a large amount of fertilizer. Using the wrong type, too much or too little of the fertilizer can slow down the ability of the plant roots to absorb water. Fertilizer can also be a problem when used in excess: the leaves may turn brown or yellow, which is not what you want.
If you are using a liquid fertilizer for plants which is supposed to be dissolved in water first, a helpful tip is that you have to split the concentration that is indicated on the pack. That way, you will have a low chance of applying too much fertilizer, but your plants will receive the necessary doses.
Now licensed for a full-scale nursery with an extensive inventory of landscaping trees, fruit trees, palm trees, and the largest houseplant collection. If you want to enhance your curb appeal or turn your porch into a class act, Eureka Farms can guide you on how to do it all, from topiary trees and hedges to everything in between. You can rest assured that we will handle the shipment with the utmost care across the country so that when your plants reach you, they will be as fresh as new. These indoor plants require less upkeep, improve home air cleanliness, brighten moods, and provide essential touches of the natural world to the work-from-home office. Happy Planting!
